


Just the beginning

by Whatadream24



Series: Dangers of the Heart [1]
Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Adult Content, F/M, Multi, No Spoilers, Plot Twists, Short & Sweet, Talk of Bonnie's Brothers, Talk of Bonnie's Husband
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-09-06 04:34:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16825240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whatadream24/pseuds/Whatadream24
Summary: How was Bonnie Macfarlane to know that the tall, burly man standing before her would drastically change her life?(Any warnings will show up in the chapter notes)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy! I'm back again with more Red Dead excitement and this time a short story is all I am planning to write. I fell so hard for Arthur the second I heard him speak so I knew that I had to have the story revolve mostly around him. Now here comes the really interesting part; I am planning to have the story also revolve around the Macfarlane's and Bonnie's story, from what we've learned about her in the first installment of the game series. I am fond of Sadie Adler but I always found Bonnie Macfarlane a very interesting character next to John Marston. I do want Bonnie and Arthur to come into contact with each other but I don't know what it will turn into. Bonnie's unknown husband will be involved as well. I really do want this short story to make a great impression! Anywho, the story starts off a few moments just before Arthur makes his way to the saloon in Valentine to talk to Javier and Charles.
> 
> EXTRA NOTE: I did do some research and some math on how old Bonnie Macfarlane would be back in 1899. She would be 17 years old but I would feel safer if I made her at least 18 years old, although back in the 18th century, age didn't matter. At least for marriage.

Disclaimer: I do NOT OWN anyone or anything from the making of this story.

Dangers of the Heart  
..

"Pa, I think you've had enough to drink," the young blond Macfarlane daughter suggests, putting both of her hands over her father's shoulders as she looks off at all the other heavy drinkers around them. The saloon is full of sound; people cheering, glasses clanking and the piano man playing. Drew Macfarlane finally raises his head up from the wooden counter and the first person his glossy eyes see is the bartender, who seems to be only a few years younger than himself, wiping out a couple of whiskey glasses. The ambient lighting around Drew is more of a bother to his vision than Bonnie thought. She gives him a few shoves, hoping she can return some kind of sense back to him and it's an accomplishment she can smile about.

"I-I'm okay darlin', jus' a bit whipsy," Drew says to Bonnie and the sloppiness of it spilling from his mouth has the young Bonnie snickering to herself. She nonetheless continues to shake him. 

"Pa' come on, I got to get you back home," the young teenager pesters, gaining back all seriousness as she starts pulling on his arms. The quiet bartender can see how much of a pain Drew is being towards his daughter and it causes the man to quickly step in. The man circles around the counter and doesn't utter a word as he grabs Drew by the collar of his tan blazer. He yanks Drew off the stool and it has Bonnie surprised; she is also very thankful. Her stubborn father wasn't listening to her whatsoever.

The young woman meets the bartender's azure eyes and quickly returns her gaze back upon her father. "You get yer'selves out of here," the man says to the young woman but not in a demanding way. He's still got a good hold on Drew, who is too inebriated to even realize what's going on. Bonnie nods her head in agreement and sudden thunder can be heard crackling in the distance. Now the weather has quickly become another one of Bonnie's worries.

"Thank you sir," Bonnie comments kindly to the older man and grabs onto her father's arms. The two, Bonnie and the bartender both break eye contact and he watches the young woman leave. The bartender shakes his head and silently returns to his duties. Once outside, another sharp snap of thunder quickens Bonnie's heartbeat and she spots the horse and carriage to the far right of the saloon. 

“Come on pa’, you got to get home and rest,” young Bonnie says to her father tenderly as she eyes him worrisomely. He’s heavy against her and she does her hardest to hold both him and herself upright; she gets close enough to the carriage and lets her father lean against the large wooden wheel. A hot sigh passes Bonnie’s lips and she watches her father. As upset as she’s been lately with him drinking so early in the day and so much, she can’t blame him for it. Drew lost another son just a few days ago. It’s been wearing him down so hard and so fast.

Bonnie eyes Drew one last time before reaching out to grab him and that’s when an unfamiliar man appears from behind the carriage. The man is tall with striking broad shoulders and large hands. The kind of man that Bonnie has been taught to be leery of.

The strange man stops in front of Bonnie and it’s a very welcoming thing he knows how to keep his distance. “Seems like quite a load for a young woman, mind the help?” the stranger asks and his voice is fairly deep and gravelly from the overuse of cigarettes. Bonnie stands in silence, just obliviously blinking her eyes; she must think that the large stranger could read her mind. The strange man eyes both Bonnie and Drew before turning around to leave. Bonnie stops him with a reach of her arm and a pinch of the stranger’s rolled up sleeve. 

“I wouldn’t mind the help,” the young woman says softly to the large man and she is quick to let him go. The stranger turns back to face Bonnie and her father and he brings his eyes up to the carriage seat. 

“Hop up there and I’ll hand ‘em up to you,” the tall stranger tells Bonnie and without giving herself much time to think, Bonnie nods her head and jumps up into the carriage seat. It creaks ungodly beneath her weight and she turns her body towards the strange man. If her father was sober right now, the strange man would be getting an earful. Bonnie is a taken young woman. Not married yet but still taken.

Bonnie readies herself for anything the man is going to throw at her. She watches him from the carriage seat and her fingers grip onto the wood siding nervously. Taking Bonnie again by surprise, the stranger barely uses much of his strength as he grabs Drew by his lower waist and hoists him up with a little grunt. Bonnie is quick to latch onto her father and she uses as much power as she can to pull him up into the seat. After realizing just how inebriated the older man is, the stranger wanders around the carriage to the back. Bonnie holds her father against her so there isn’t any worry about him falling.

“Bring him back here,” the stranger tells Bonnie, jumping up into the back of the carriage. The carriage rocks more than Bonnie expected and she twists her body so that she is facing the man.

“Mhh, wh-what’s goin’ on?” Drew mumbles into Bonnie’s shoulder and he rubs some of the drunkenness from his sweaty face with a clammy hand. Bonnie and the stranger examine Drew and Bonnie helps him sit upright. The strange man draws his eyes over every inch of the carriage and taps the older man on the shoulder.

“Your daughter here is tryna’ get you home,” the large man says to Drew and the drunk man squints over at the tall man, trying to stand, which from his position is not a good idea. Bonnie grabs her father by the dirty cuffs of his blazer and pulls him back into a seated position. The tall stranger watches the two family members struggle and quickly intervenes. With every step the large man takes in the back of the carriage, the father and daughter rock back and forth.

“Ja-Jamison?” Drew blabbers and spit flies as he stares at the tall man. He tries to stand up again but Bonnie stops him and shakes her head. The stranger looks at the older drunk man with puzzlement but doesn’t bother to ask. Bonnie’s eyes meet the stranger’s and almost instantly, both of them are frozen.

. 

How was Bonnie to know that the tall, burly man standing before her would drastically change her life? 

..

By the way, Jamison is the name I gave Bonnie’s ‘missing’ husband. If he does have a name, feel free to PM me!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy! So I realized that I failed to say in the first chapter that these updates aren’t going to be long like a lot of my other stories. They will still include a ton of detail of interesting things, they just won’t be long. Anywho, please enjoy this update! Also, there will be a ton of plot twists
> 
> Warnings: mild language

..

It didn’t take long for the stranger to help Bonnie Macfarlane with her father. Just as the stranger started to walk away, he is stopped by the young woman. Both Bonnie and the strange man are taken aback by her action but the man accepts it. The young woman let’s go of the man’s rolled up sleeve and she steps up onto the creaky porch of the saloon.

“Let me repay you, sir,” the azure-eyed rancher admits to the tall man and he can see a little gleam in her eye. 

She really wants to. The stranger scratches at the stubble on his left jawline, retrieving a thin cigarette from his shirt breast pocket. Just seconds before the man can light his cigarette, Bonnie leans in a bit closer and flicks a match. Their eyes meet again and the stranger lets the young woman light his cigarette without a word. Neither one of them breaks the sudden silence that has entwined them together and just stare. The stranger coughs after a sharp inhale of the tobacco and turns his eyes away from the young woman.

The sounds of horse hooves in the mud, faint chatter and clanking of glasses only help the silence between Bonnie and the stranger minimally. “If you think you should,” the strange man finally says back to her remark from moments ago, finishing off his cigarette. 

Bonnie leads the strange man into the saloon and he follows without question. That’s where he spots Javier and Charles immediately by the bar. The day is coming to a slow end. Both Javier and Charles notice Arthur just as he did them. They take in the image of the young woman beside him but they stay next to the pair of whores.

Young Bonnie is polite as can be as she orders the tall man beside her a hot bowl of ham and beans. It doesn’t take long for the bartender to notice her. 

He takes the young woman’s money and doesn’t stall any as he retrieves a fresh bowl of ham and beans. He gives the pair before him a questionable kind of look but he leaves it alone. With the bowl laying on the counter in front of him, the stranger places both of his hands onto the counter beside the bowl and picks up the spoon. Bonnie quietly gazes at him, watching him take the first bite. Not coming to the realization that the man to the far left of her is watching her and the stranger, Bonnie’s lips curve into a friendly smile at the man beside her.

“Much obliged for the help earlier mister er..uh..?” young Bonnie thanks the man but is stopped quick from speaking again because she has no idea what the man’s name is. With one hand on her hip and the other on the wooden countertop, Bonnie meets the stranger’s eyes again.

He licks his lips, enjoying the salty taste of the ham. “Arthur, Arthur Morgan,” the man says to Bonnie after taking another sloppy bite of the thick soup. Bonnie extends her hand out to Arthur unexpectedly and he just stares at it in a confused manner. He thinks to himself; she is not like a lot of other women, especially those of her age. Arthur swallows what’s in his mouth at the moment and takes her hand in his large one. The size of his hands is enough to intimidate Bonnie but she’s smart enough to not get closer. The saloon begins to pick up in sound and chatter. 

Javier and Charles continue to attempt to swoon the pair of whores. Charles’ eyes roll away from the scandalously clothed woman and sneak back over to Arthur and the young woman. He can hear the two of them talking but what about, he doesn’t know. He isn’t quite sure what has come over him. He can’t pull his gaze away from the young woman. He returns his eyes back to the whore before him and leans in close with one hand of his resting on the countertop. Javier gets the other whore to giggle and they both whisper to each other. Charles doesn’t bother with them. He resumes sweet talking the woman before him. “I’ll see you around Mr. Morgan,” Bonnie Macfarlane leaves Arthur with a kind smile. Arthur wipes away the soup from his chin and responds to her goodbye. 

“Have a safe ride home, Ms. Macfarlane,” Arthur says out loud, watching her leave. Something about that young woman has captured a part of Arthur’s rational mind and he exits the saloon. He’s too late if he wanted to say anything more to the young woman. Her carriage was already down the dirt road.

The cool breeze blows a piece of golden hair into his face and he brushes it away. He sighs, oblivious to it, and he heads back into the saloon where he finally meets up with Javier and Charles.

..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending stops just as Arthur makes his funny remark to one of the prostitutes that Javier was talking to. Don’t want to leave anyone in confusion.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that this story is enjoyable so far. I apologize if the timeline doesn't make sense. The story starts off with the bar fight with Tommy and continues on from there.

3 days passed

..

Arthur removes his dirty hat and wipes at his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. He usually wore his old leather gloves but today isn’t the day for them. They are covered in blood from his last kill; that of a buck. He’s hoping that one of the women back at camp could give them a proper cleaning.

It’s only 60 degrees out this morning and it seems like Arthur is melting from his own sweat. He’s always had a lot more meat on him than the rest of the gang and to go along with that, he also happened to perspire more too. Leaning over into the stream before him, Arthur keeps his hat beside him on the ground and splashes his face. The water is cold and quite enjoyable on his healing cuts and bruises he received from the fight days before. Just as he is about to splash himself again, a loud shout breaks his little moment.

He turns his head to the right, where the sound had come from and he sees two strangers clearly arguing next to a stilled carriage. He can’t really see from where he has squat. He narrows his eyes to get a clearer look at the couple.

He can make out a woman and a man. The woman has her hands on her hips and the man is busy throwing his arms around. Arthur doesn’t want to get himself caught up in the couple, but after the man grabs the woman quite forcefully, Arthur is quick to stand. It’s not that far of a distance from where his current position is and he starts up a fast walk. 

The couple continues to argue and the man doesn’t let the woman go. Arthur is growing angrier by the second at the sight. Once he’s close enough to see, Arthur surprises the couple and he is taken by surprise himself.

The woman isn’t just a woman. It’s the young Macfarlane woman. Arthur and Bonnie look at each other as if they are long lost lovers. The man who has his tight grip on Bonnie’s arm takes note of the sudden change of Bonnie and the sight of the stranger. The dark haired man lets go of Bonnie’s bicep and he wanders over to Arthur. There is obvious anger in the man’s dark eyes. Arthur turns his eyes away from Bonnie to graze them upon the shorter man who dared step up to him.

“Who the hell ‘er you?” the man growls and his southern accent is faint but still visible in his crackly voice. Arthur narrows his azure eyes at the man before him and reaches out to grab a secure hold of the man’s filthy suspenders. He holds the elastic bands tightly in his fist and pulls him close.

The younger man is now leery of the stranger and the hard expression on his face has turned terribly soft. Bonnie sighs and slowly steps in. As angry and frustrated she is with the man, Bonnie can’t let Arthur hurt him. Without a word, the young woman brings a hand upon Arthur’s shoulder and it’s just enough to have him ease up. The younger dark haired man is let go with a little shove and Bonnie latches onto the man’s forearm.

“What the hell was that arguin’ about?” grumbles Arthur as he steps up to the couple, eying the shorter man questionably. 

Bonnie pulls the man as she begins her walk towards the carriage. She doesn’t answer him. Arthur looks at them completely dumbfounded. Sure he only met the young woman three days prior to this new situation, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t help, again. Arthur watches the secretive couple hop up onto the carriage seat and the man takes a hold of the reins. Bonnie turns her head to Arthur who has taken a few steps closer on their trail.

“I won’t let you hurt my man, Mr. Morgan,” is all that young Bonnie tells him, her voice unusually scratchy and quiet. She turns her attention to the path ahead and the large horses are lightly whipped into a slow trot. Arthur watches her leave again and this time it really upsets him. Not because she’s with a man but because he wasn’t able to figure out her dangerous situation.

Arthur had witnessed domestic abuse more than a few times in his life. He doesn’t believe in it by any means. He thinks it’s a pathetic way most men show their dominance. What he saw looked like it wasn’t the only time the young woman was held viciously by a man.

Arthur sighs as he pulls out a cigarette from his shirt breast pocket. He lights it from the match that he frees from the same pocket and slips the tobacco stick between his chapped lips. He gazes up at the sky and sees an incoming mess of grey clouds over the hilltops. He better get heading back to camp. Arthur returns to his tent and knocks it down. He gathers all of his supplies, and puts them away. He makes sure they are safe in the saddlebags and is careful when he climbs up onto his large tan female Ardennes.

There is a part of him that is tempted to follow after the couple but he knows better than that. Something about that young woman has him missing his rational mind and he is completely struck down by it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy the update!
> 
> Warning: Slight hint of domestic abuse

Bonnie is particularly quiet on the way back home from her trip to Saint Denis. Jamison continues to look ahead, too baffled and frustrated with her to speak to her. The creaking of the carriage and the milk jugs in the back make obnoxious sounds with each bump of the winding path. Bonnie draws her blue eyes from the path ahead and looks off into the grey covered sky.

“That man back there, who was he?” Jamison asks suddenly and his tone draws Bonnie’s stare away from the ugly sky. Her eyes meet his in a bitter kind of way and she painfully grinds her molars.

“I don’t know that man Jamison, why must you always worry about that, you crazy man!” Bonnie responds sharply to the man beside her and he flares his nostrils. 

She’s seen that look on his face many times before and she braces herself for what’s quick to follow. The bitter slap doesn’t come along as expected and it catches Bonnie by surprise. Jamison turns his eyes away from Bonnie and back onto the path ahead, swatting the large horses once more with the reins. A barely noticeable sigh passes through Bonnie’s slightly parted lips and she continues to watch the changing clouds. Jamison swats the horses more vigorously this time and the carriage is practically hovering above the ground.

The sudden change in speed startles Bonnie and she latches onto Jamison’s waist, untucking his shirt just a little from his Levi’s. He cracks a hardly visible smile and continues to New Austin in a hurry. There is an incoming storm and they have to get back as soon as possible. Bonnie and Jamison aren’t married, nor are they a set in stone match. Drew Macfarlane met Jamison in Armadillo during a poker game.

Jamison’s good at poker and he’s more intelligent than Bonnie realizes, but over the passing days, weeks and now months of Jamison being in Bonnie’s life, Drew is beginning to recognize the signs of unhappiness in his daughter.

She’s 18, a strong independent young woman, but Drew wants her to be happy with a good man to look after her. Bonnie has had multiple suitors but not a single one has she enjoyed the company of. Drew isn’t oblivious to Jamison’s domineering personality and it’s starting to bother him.

The Macfarlanes have been through quite a lot. There recently was a wicked cholera outbreak that had unfortunately taken a couple of Drew’s sons. Neither men have shown signs of recovery and it pulled Drew, along with Bonnie into a sad state of mind. Drew has been drinking a lot because of it; Bonnie breaks horses every other day to help her forget but some days are extremely harder than others. It's still a great surprise to them both that neither one of them contracted the disease. God must’ve had different plans for the two siblings. Drew now only has one son remaining and he didn’t want a thing to do with Drew or Bonnie.

These days are really hard for Drew. Bonnie and Jamison finally return to the ranch just as it begins to rain. Jamison let’s go of the wet reins and jumps down from the carriage. He reaches his hand up to Bonnie and she takes it without saying a word. Amos is quick to greet Bonnie and Jamison.

“Are you planning on leaving any time tonight, Ms. Macfarlane?” Amos asks, wandering over to the carriage horses. Jamison lets go of Bonnie’s hand and leaves her and Amos’ presence. Bonnie puts her hands over her hips and blows a piece of hair from her rain speckled face. She shakes her head and trails toward Amos.

“No Amos, let’s get these horses in the barn,” Bonnie says to Amos with a discomforting tone and she begins to unstrap the large animal from its bindings. Amos watches for a moment and works on the other.

.

Arthur takes a long drag from his cigarette and returns to carefully shaving his hairy jawline. He leans over into his lap on his mattress and stares intently at his own reflection. He lightly traces the sharp silver blade along his right jawline, finishing where he left off. He had gotten momentarily distracted an inebriated Sean.

While shaving what little is left, Arthur’s mind falls back on the young woman he had encountered twice now. He worries for her more than he really should but he can’t help himself sometimes. As tough as Arthur looks and can be, he has a large heart in the big chest of his. He still keeps the photograph of Mary in his sleeping area. He tends to look at it a bit during his time at camp but he does not really think about her like he once had.

Charles ends his conversation with Dutch and spots Arthur. He thinks about that young woman from a while back. Who was she and why was she with Arthur?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy the update :) the next updates will start getting a little bit into 'adult content'

Day Passed

.

“Does your jaw still hurt?” Charles asks, eying Arthur’s face more than a couple times. Arthur gives it a gentle wiggle, side to side to see if the pain is still around. He lets out a groan and Charles steps away. The two gang members are out hunting just a few miles away from camp. Arthur rubs at the spot just below his left ear to try and ease the pain but it only aggravates it more.

Charles kneels slowly and readies his bow. Arthur sees the buck beautifully displayed against the lush green environment and carefully gets into the same position as Charles.

He can see the concentration splayed across Charles’ dark features and it’s quite an amazing sight. Arthur has learned a lot from Charles and has become a better bowhunter because of him. Pulling back the bow, with the arrow in place, Charles is quick to drop his fingers from the bow and the arrow rips through the warm air. In mere seconds, the large buck is flat on the ground. Charles stands up and Arthur follows behind.

Wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, Charles makes his way over towards the dead animal. Arthur is close behind, listening to the wet, soggy brush and miscellaneous twigs snapping beneath their boots.

“Who was that young woman with you the day of the bar fight?” Charles breaks the singing of birds with an unexpected question. They are both close to the buck and Charles swings his bow over his left shoulder, kneeling down to be face to face with the animal. Arthur stares at the back of Charles’ head in confusion but it’s not a bad question to want an answer to. Javier and Charles were there in Valentine. Arthur can’t completely ignore him no matter how much he wishes to.

Settling both of his gloved thumbs into his pants belt loops, Arthur leans onto one foot and directs his eyes onto the glazed over eyes of the buck in front of Charles. He swallows the sudden collection of spit at the back of his throat and figures out the right way to answer.

“Just a little run-in is all,” Arthur spits out with a cough and Charles turns his head away from the half-skinned animal to glare harmlessly up at Arthur. 

A half smile overcomes Charles’ lips and he returns to his current bloody situation. Arthur scratches the fuzzy nape of his neck and kneels beside Charles to help him skin the animal. Charles Smith is indefinitely the best bow hunter in the gang and he’s great at skinning just the same, but Arthur has to distract his anxious mind with something.

“That young beauty looked like more than just a run-in Arthur,” Charles says with a cocky tone and the two men struggle a little bit with the bony knees of the animal. There isn’t any blood spatter, only blood soaked into their gloves and knees of their pants. 

Arthur cuts in the same direction as Charles along the left back leg of the buck and swallows again. He’s stuck thinking about the mysterious woman and it’s pissing Arthur off. She was just a run-in, that much is true, but their interaction was more than just that. Arthur Morgan felt something the moment they spoke to each other and he’s never experienced that before. Mary was a lovely woman, kind and beautiful but not like Ms. Macfarlane. Mary has turned into some kind of money-spitting housewife. Her husband has a lot more money than she’d like to admit. Arthur doesn’t really need a ‘Queen’ in his life. 

A hard-working woman is whom he’d like to have and possibly a son one day but he doesn’t spend too much time thinking about things like that.

“Why you care anyway?” Arthur responds back to Charles moments after and they both finish up skinning the animal. Charles wipes at his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand and picks up the lovely pelt. He whistles for his mount and the horse comes trotting over in no time at all. Arthur grabs as much of the venison as he can get and whistles for his horse seconds after Charles.

Charles chuckles as he carefully lays the pelt across the backside of his horse, flattening it well with his now bare hands. He had removed his gloves so he wouldn’t risk staining the beautiful coat. Arthur packs away the large chunks of venison into his saddlebags and mindlessly wipes his bloody gloves on his pants. The mid-afternoon is coming to a quick end and both men saddle up. Charles looks over at Arthur and stares. It’s quiet between the two of them, excluding the sounds of nature. 

“Just don’t get involved with the woman Arthur, if she finds out the truth about you, it will only cause you heartache,” Charles speaks softly to Arthur, moving the bow further up his shoulder, meeting Arthur’s gaze. Charles is right, he is absolutely right but what if he happens to run into the woman again? What is he supposed to do? 

“Yer’ right Charles,” Arthur grumbles and Charles nods his head in agreement. With a click of his tongue and a couple spurs in the horse’s sides, Charles and Arthur are off.

..

Drew ends his heated conversation with Jamison and the younger man storms out of the house. Jamison knows deep in his heart that Bonnie is made for him. He will show her that he’s the right man for her one day. He doesn’t have the money and he doesn’t have the right mindset that he would love to have right now but he will have everything for Bonnie Macfarlane. Jamison doesn’t say goodbye to anyone as he jumps into the dirty saddle of his female nag and spurs the animal into a gallop. He’s heading north; he will make sure he returns to Bonnie with all the money and love she could ever desire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to recall the easter egg: Letter to Bonnie. Jamison is off on his journey, so I do hope no confusion was present while reading the end


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Hint of racism

Week gone by

..

Bonnie takes another sip from her cold glass of brandy. She’s normally not a big drinker or any kind of drinker for that matter but her mind has been contaminated by past memories; it has been for a few days now and the brandy takes some of the unwanted thoughts away. The sun is shining brightly above the earth and the heat isn’t much of a friend to Bonnie.

She leans forward into her lap sitting uncomfortably in a creaky chair on the porch. The young woman sighs and clasps her face in both of her sweaty hands; Jamison is gone but that’s not what’s truly bothering her. She may miss little things about that man but what’s upsetting to her is that her brothers are gone. There is no one left beside her father and herself. Her mother passed away from tuberculosis when Bonnie was only 7 years old; the Macfarlane name must be cursed. The biggest fear inside Bonnie’s head these days is losing her father and that’s clogging her thoughts, pricking painfully at her brain. Amos comes wandering by the white fence of the Macfarlane house and spots Bonnie on the porch.

He can practically see the cloud of despair hovering above her head. Knowing exactly how he is with this kind of things and anything involving Bonnie, Amos wanders on over to the front porch of the lovely ranch home, instantly capturing the young woman’s attention. 

“Ms. Macfarlane, are you alright?” Amos asks with a great amount of worry in his voice and he steps up beside Bonnie. She raises her head from her palms and ever so lightly cracks a smile.

“Of course Amos, I’m fine,” Bonnie acknowledges Amos with nervousness high in her voice, leaning back into the noisy chair. Amos nods his head a couple times and darts his dark eyes on over to the glass of liquor next to her on the little table. He knows about Jamison and he knows about the unfortunate deaths that recently befell herself and Drew but what he doesn’t know is that Bonnie Macfarlane is truly ‘dying’ inside.

He wants to do all that he can to get her out of that chair and away from that liquor but Bonnie is a hard-headed woman. He steps a bit closer to the rancher and she stares up at him.

“Let’s take a ride, Ms. Macfarlane, you’ve been cooped up for a while,” Amos says bravely and Bonnie isn’t hesitant this time. She nods her head once and stands up before Amos. He is taken by total surprise at her reaction but he’s not going to say a word; he’s happy about it. He smiles a little smile at Bonnie and she pats him on the shoulder, making her trail towards the horse corral. Amos is close behind, feeling better about his day that he is able to help the young Macfarlane in her time of need. Amos always had a little flame for Bonnie but he knows her too well; she’d never have him. 

.

Several hours passed...

“LENNNNAAY!” screams inebriated Arthur as he stumbles over his own two feet, trying way too hard to find a man who normally sticks out like a sore thumb. The several faces of other drinkers in the saloon begin to fade and transform into Lenny’s. Now, what is Arthur supposed to do?

Arthur calls out Lenny’s name many, many times again, bumping into the people who he had assumed were Lenny. Each face of Lenny’s had turned out to not be the real Lenny and it isn’t as frustrating to Arthur being so high on bourbon and what not. Running into the other drinking folk, Arthur is suddenly grabbed and this time by the real Lenny. He’s speaking to Arthur, laughing and hiccuping, not aware of the slap that had come so quickly after latching onto the stocky man.

Arthur and Lenny ultimately become the entertainment of the night. Some folk chuckle as some groan and frown at their drunken slapping fight. 

.

Charles raises his eyes to the black sky, illuminated faintly by the moon and brushes his fingers through his horses’ dark mane. The animal snorts contently at Charles’ gentle touch and he takes a hold of the reins. He looks back down at the piece of Native American jewelry in his opposite hand, mesmerized by its beauty and its history. He won it at an intense game of poker; he would’ve killed the man for it. The ignorant man wanted to sell it, knowing just how pissed off Charles would be about that. Charles didn’t want to give the man a reaction, so he won the game instead. 

The lovely silver and turquoise necklace makes him think a lot about his own past but also about the woman who last wore it. It’s an unfortunate and saddening story but when the time comes, Charles wants to give it to his future wife. 

The wind picks up suddenly and he stares back up at the sky and sees the rolling clouds try to hide the bright moon. His dark hair blows with the wind and his horse whinnies. There is rain on the way. Charles puts the necklace away into his satchel and climbs into the saddle. He clicks his tongue a couple times and pulls the reins to the east.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize ahead of time if this chapter is a bit 'ehh'. Please enjoy :)

Bonnie pulls back on the reins of her horse and it comes to a sudden stop. Amos repeats the same moves and his dark mount halts immediately in the mud of Valentine, hooves sinking slowly. He’s giving her a quizzical look, ignoring the folk around them and quickly sees what she’s pausing her stare upon. Bonnie remains seated in the saddle and her grip on the reins becomes sweaty too fast at the sight of a wicked chase between two men; one quite familiar.

The night is cooler than normal but still enjoyable. Bonnie looks away from the chase that is now hidden behind the livery and returns her attention back to Amos. She doesn’t know why that sight had distracted her so badly but she is quick to apologize.

Amos jumps from his saddle while keeping a good hold of the reins and reaches out for Bonnie’s pair of reins. He leads both animals to a nearby hitching post and leaves them with a pat. Amos accepts Bonnie’s apology with a kind smile. The fight has seemed to disrupt most of the folk of Valentine and Amos leads Bonnie into the general store after she climbs down from her horse. He always makes sure to keep her out of harms way although he knows sometimes he won’t be there. A man, that big man with the crazy hair was whom she set her eyes upon and he is still confused why.

“Mr. Macfarlane may need some more gun oil,” Amos says nonchalantly, breaking the silence between him and Bonnie. The ringing of the bell hanging above the door is repeating in Bonnie’s head and so is the scene from just moments ago. 

A dangerous man. She knew too well from the first encounter with him. He’s got to be a danger. Bonnie grabs a few things while Amos buys more than a few bottles of gun oil. Some of them are covered with the oil but he just lets the fluid coat his dry palm and fingers. Bonnie comes up beside Amos as soon as he meets the shopkeeper to provide him with the money and sets the two chocolate bars down next to the gun oil bottles.

Amos smiles without a word and hands the shopkeeper the right amount of cash, and Bonnie with Amos close behind, leave the store. It’s getting late in the evening and riding back to the ranch would be a good idea right now. Bonnie finds her and Amos’ horses close by and moves towards them, trudging through the mud and that’s when the worst thing happens. 

Both Bonnie and Amos are too slow to react but anybody would in their position. Within mere seconds, Bonnie is laying in the mud with a large body above her, keeping her from moving at all. Amos is very quick to come to her rescue but the man above her is a lot bigger than him; he is able to grab his arms and finally, after staring for too long at the body beneath him, Arthur is moving backward, feeling like a fucking idiot. 

“Oh shit!” Arthur swears sloppily, still obviously drunk but more aware now after the sudden collision. The terrified man is definitely gone by now and Amos let’s go of Arthur’s arms to help Bonnie out of the mud.

Her head is spinning a little bit and her back aches but not all of the man’s weight had fallen upon her; she’d know if that was the case. 

“What is wrong with you, mister?” Amos growls before the man, but is cautious of his tone seeing that the man before him can definitely cause a lot of damage. He stands his ground though; Amos always will for Bonnie. Bonnie stands close to Amos with mud coating her entire backside and with a head and heart full of frustration and anger, slaps the tall man as hard as she can.

Arthur isn’t surprised by the quickness of the slap but is surprised by how hard the slap is. He turns his head back from the said slap, doesn’t bother to touch his sore cheek and takes a couple uncoordinated steps towards Bonnie. 

Amos doesn’t let him step any closer and grabs Arthur’s stocky shoulders. Random bystanders and folk of Valentine take note of the incident. Arthur should be high tailing his ass out of here, but he’s completely stunned by the young woman standing before him. Bonnie gives him a stern look and slaps him again. This upsets Amos and he puts one hand out to Bonnie to stop her as he holds Arthur back with the other, hoping this won’t get out of hand.

“Crazy ass!” a voice from the background shouts and that still doesn’t get Arthur’s attention from Bonnie. Amos is stunned by this point and looks at Bonnie. Arthur cracks a drunken grin and steps close again. Amos groans and latches onto his shoulders, trying to maintain this wild man.

“Please go home, Ms. Macfarlane,” Amos says out loud to Bonnie, who seems just as distracted as Arthur and this time, which takes every single person around by surprise, kicks him swiftly between the legs. Who the hell knew Bonnie Macfarlane, such a small young woman would do such a thing to a big man? Amos didn’t know she had it in her, that’s for damn sure. Arthur does whimper a little bit but it doesn’t last that long and he recovers without a fuss. Bonnie is a little surprised by the man’s pain tolerance but she shouldn’t be at all, looking at how big he is and she sees him crack another grin on his dirty face.

“I like ya’ little fire-cracker,” Arthur says in his raspy voice just before easily releasing himself from Amos’ hands, making a run for it. Completely lost for words, Amos sighs and does his best to bring comfort to Bonnie. She swallows and her lovely, freckled face is tightened into a mean glare.

Amos touches her shoulder and the touch snaps her from her undefined trance. The wind picks up and the smell of rain fills everyone's’ lungs. Amos needs to get Bonnie back home before too long.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Home invasion and hints of sexual assault

12:00 am

Bonnie wakes up in a cold sweat with her heart an explosive mess. She doesn’t bother to wipe away the strands of hair from her sticky face and draws her eyes towards the closed window. 

The light of the moon beams into her bedroom through the silk curtains, creating a spooky replica of the window across the carpeted floor. Sitting up in bed with her aching back against the wooden frame and a single feather pillow crushed against the middle of her back, Bonnie keeps her eyes on the window, listening to the strong wind whip against the glass.

Her head hurts and she places her palm against her left temple. Her head is still turned towards the window but she closes her eyes and sighs. The sweat has now dried on her skin and Bonnie opens her eyes and looks in the direction of her vanity in the far right corner of her bedroom.

Her mother’s silver locket, glistening very faintly from the moonlight, laying across a decorative mirror catches the young woman’s eye. Bonnie never leaves her bedroom without putting the locket around her neck; losing that priceless piece of jewelry would break her heart. After losing herself in bittersweet memories of her mother, Bonnie expels a strong yawn and moves her golden hair out from underneath of her shoulders before laying back down against the pillow.

The comfort of the pillow and the mattress beneath her cause her busy mind to shut off almost immediately. That’s what happens just moments before a thundering sound of glass wakes the entire Macfarlane homestead. 

Bonnie’s reflexes instantly kick her in the ass all at once and the burgundy sheets are on the floor in a heap, along with a couple pillows, feathers floating down like snow. She keeps her mother’s Owl rifle underneath her bed in a chest, and she’s just a little too slow this time to retrieve it. There are many footsteps, thumps and crashing of glassware; too many sounds for Bonnie to figure the main source. A stranger has a pistol to the back of her head and she just now comes to realization of that.

Bonnie swallows and much of her hair is hanging in her eyes, which she doesn’t bother to blow from her face. Any kind of movement at this point will have Bonnie dead on the floor. What’s clouding her mind at this time is her father. He’s not an old man yet but his drinking habits have gotten out of hand along with his thought process. The man coughs and the sounds of thumps and broken glassware play over and over like a broken record. Bonnie licks her lips and continues to stay crouched down in her night gown next to her bed, with her hands flat on the carpet.

“What’s under the bed?” growls the strange man pressing the barrel of the pistol harder into the back of Bonnie’s head. Bonnie’s eyes scan the decorative carpeting beneath her as well as the lace trim of her nightgown. 

Her eyes then quickly spot the man’s shadow standing in the moonlight and it pours fear into her already wrecked thoughts but she’s got to be strong for her father. Her chest is aching along with her sore back and the man takes a fist full of her golden hair without any kind of warning and a yelp escapes her lips as she’s forced to stand and shoved belly-faced down onto her own disheveled bed.

Bonnie is in a fight of her life right now and she can’t fight the fear that’s pumping through her veins. 

“If you ain’t gonna talk, you will now!” the stranger says in a deep growl and his hand and pistol still remain against her skull, pushing the side of her face into the bed.

Tears are running down the young rancher’s flushed cheeks by now, soaking into the off-white under sheets. Her teary eyes stare off into the stilled silk curtains of the window. She knows too well what is going to happen if she doesn’t do something to the man and do it fast.

Bonnie is in her own world right now but her mother is there with her. That’s where a lot of Bonnie’s willpower and inner strength comes from.

Fighting against the man’s powerful pin only agitates him more like she’d assumed but she does more than just flailing her arms, she also kicks her legs. The man pushes harder on Bonnie’s head with just his hands this time, dropping his pistol on the soft floor, but she continues to kick, hoping she hits his sweet spot. 

The loud clatter on the bottom floor has stopped and the source of the said clatter is now in the same room as Bonnie and the stranger. There is definitely more than one person who enters the bedroom and Bonnie can’t move her head to get a look at anything now. Her face is buried in the sheets.

The smell of rose petals mixed with funk radiating from the stranger fill her wrecked senses and the warmth of her own tears cradles what’s left of her deteriorating emotions. 

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this series is staying interesting and you lovely readers are enjoying it!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy my dear readers!
> 
> I know I’ve been updating this series like a roaring wild fire but I do promise that I’ve done a lot of proofreading and editing to make it a very good read and I do hope these couple updates are the best for you readers!

Arthur ends up getting away from the lawmen in Valentine, also losing track of Lenny. He’s still more inebriated than he’d like to be but it’s his own damn fault that he’s in this messy state. Arthur has no idea how he ended up in the saddle of his own horse but he’s glad and he keeps on riding, holding onto the worn leather reins securely in his fist.

The wind whistles against his ears, kisses them with its bitter cold lips and twists and spins through his golden brown uncut locks of hair. The early morning weather isn’t too kind to Arthur and he shivers a bit on his ride to nowhere. His hat has been missing since the stupid slapping fight he started with Lenny at the saloon. 

Arthur’s thoughts are a damned mess but not once does he ever stop worrying for Lenny’s safety and think about the poor young woman he practically ran into the mud and horse shit. He’d already encountered the young woman more than once and each encounter left both of them either angry or confused. 

Arthur mumbles under his hot breath and slows his mount to a light trot, using his unoccupied hand to rub away goosebumps from his opposite bare forearm. He can feel dried dirt and God knows what else coating his hairy forearm under his fingers, which are equally filthy. Arthur groans as the familiar sharp pain from the alcohol begins to reveal itself in the pit of his stomach, alongside his major headache. The outlaw sighs and leans forward into his saddle. He’s beginning to feel the aftershock of all the alcohol and he’s not liking it.

“OHh, shit,” the dirty outlaw sputters and within seconds of those words escaping his dry mouth, he’s leaning over the right side of his horse hurling up every last bit of anything he had ingested in the last few hours.

He’s shivering and sudden drops of rain cool his skin even more. Arthur Morgan can be pretty incompetent sometimes; maybe even more times than he’d like to admit. It’s only 55 degrees out and he’s still pretty buzzed, traveling mindlessly through the light rain without a coat. All that he can recall from the last hours events is the slapping fight and running over Ms. Macfarlane. Much of everything else is dust in the wind. As Arthur finishes emptying his stomach contents onto the rain soaked earth, his boiling eyes stare down at the nasty smelly mess and he pulls to the left on the reins, getting his female mount to turn with.

His sobriety slowly returns to him and it comes back with a serious dehydration issue. The headache is still recognizable but all he can do for that at the moment is rub his left temple with a calloused thumb. 

His horse whinnies a couple times from the startling crack of thunder just over the darkened hills and Arthur pats his horse on her large neck, splaying his thick fingers along her soft deep red hairs. “It’s okay girl,” Arthur says softly to his mount and it calms her down immensely. His horse isn’t usually easily spooked but after the events in Valentine, he doesn’t doubt his horse is just as stressed and tired as him. 

He can’t stop himself from replaying the moment when he came crashing into Bonnie Macfarlane full force. He surprised himself to find that the collision hadn’t knocked the young woman unconscious. Part of him wished it did only because he now has to live with the fact that he’d hurt such a young girl because of his idiotic antics.

.

The man holding Bonnie down onto the bed is roughly pulled free from her, giving her a tiny sense of relief but not enough to stop the angry and fearful tears. There is bickering back and forth between two obvious men but Bonnie doesn’t even bother to listen in on their argument. Her tears cause some of her stray locks of hair to stick to her hot cheeks like glue. The bedroom is quickly brightened by a couple matches set to the only lamps around and a hand comes down to cradle the back of her head.

The unexpected touch is gentle and careful and it disturbs Bonnie. Her heart is aching and she’s unable to control the beat and her breathing. Where is her father? How many men are in her house and why the hell are they here? 

“Just breathe young lass,” the voice behind the secure yet gentle hand at the back of her head is strikingly familiar but Bonnie can’t piece any of it together. 

She’s got too much on her mind right now and the last thing she wants to figure out is the face behind the very familiar voice.

She is able to move her head and her eyes quickly adjust to the orange light around her. The man moves his hand from her head and he walks into her line of vision. Once crouched down, the man cracks a dirty smile at Bonnie and more of the uncontrollable tears soak into the sheets.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you readers have it. Finished with Part 1 of my 2-part mini-series! I hope it was enjoyable and I do apologize for constantly taking out tags and changing the title but there will for sure be a 2nd part where things get deep and that will be very soon! 
> 
> Warnings: Slight sexual undertones

Colm O’Driscoll.

Bonnie puts the frightening pieces together. The nasty, rugged voice, the silver hair, the emerald eyes and the vibrations he’s been sending her since the second his hand touched her head. She’s only encountered the gang leader a couple times in her eighteen years and they weren’t anything pleasing. The outlaw had made a few private trades with Drew that Bonnie hadn’t been aware of for quite some time until he had told her the day she turned fifteen. The Macfarlane’s had been through so much during their time in New Austin.

Their family only consists of a father and one child; that’s quite small for any family but that’s definitely a big downsize for the Macfarlane’s. All of Bonnie’s six brothers have gone away. Five of them had passed away under terrible circumstances and the only living one doesn’t want anything to do with Drew or Bonnie.

Bonnie sees the wicked smile across Colm’s cracked lips and makes an attempt to turn her head away but he reaches out fairly quickly to secure his hand against her cheek. He’s not hard when he does so and he stands back up, lightly twirling some of her golden hairs around his fingers.

“I can’t believe you thought you could get away,” Colm says to Bonnie with a cocky chuckle, continuing to playfully twirl her hair at her cheek while eyeing her like a hungry dog. 

The young rancher furrows her brow and sniffles a couple times to stop the snot from running out, making a few attempts to shake his hand away. Colm only laughs and begins to put pressure on Bonnie’s face. The smell of his hand is rancid and it churns her stomach but there’s nothing she can do. She knows too well that some of Colm’s men are hanging close by, especially the one who tried to take advantage of her. 

She has no clue what Colm is planning to do to her; he stopped one of his own men from assaulting her so does that mean he’s taking that man’s place or that he’s just going to straight-up shoot her? She has no fucking idea.

All she knows is that her father had done some ‘private’ business with Colm in the past, not knowing that the O’Driscoll had an infatuation with his daughter. 

Bonnie wants to kick her legs and flail her arms like she had done to the other O’Driscoll moments ago but now that she’s enclosed in her bedroom full of men, there’s no way she can even try. The entirety of her back has begun to ache and throb from the incident in Valentine only hours ago, and the belly-face down position doesn’t help either.

“Where is my—“ Bonnie is cut short immediately as a whimper pushes her words out of the way instead. Colm has a fistful of her hair and he climbs on top of the bed. His weight pushes down the mattress and a few squeaking springs ring in Bonnie’s ears. 

A couple of chuckles from her surroundings anger yet raise terror in her heart. The man now above Bonnie puts little to no weight on her upper back while pulling her head back sharply and holding it in place. Colm O’Driscoll is not a good man, he never was and never will be. 

“Yer’ pa’s locked up in the barn, he’ll be alright if you cooperate,” Colm announces to the young woman he’s driving fear into, meanwhile hurting her the gentlest way he knows how. 

His men stand by and watch. Bonnie is surprised to find more tears running down her cheeks this time and she finds it hard to swallow while in her position. If only she was quick enough to grab her rifle. She worries for Amos and the other folk living on the ranch. Her father is her biggest worry of all and that’s the main reason for her wave of tears. She keeps her attention on the ceiling as long as she possibly can but Colm’s disgusting face doesn’t seem to disappear from her line of vision.

His opposite hand is resting flat on the bed right beside Bonnie’s. His eyes examine the silent scene and he takes the time to move his fingers over to her own. The warm, uninvited touch causes Bonnie to jump and it earns her a chuckle from Colm and one of his men standing near the bedside table.

“I’m not here to hurt you darlin’,” Colm says warmly to the silent woman trapped beneath him, inching his face closer to hers. His hand caught up in her hair moves a little bit and it adds more pressure to her throat, which encourages a few choked coughs. Colm has got Bonnie right where he’s always wanted her. He is not going to assault her because he knows he can get her without falling back on force. He might not be the brightest man, for many reasons, but he knows how to be charming when he needs to be.

Locking his warm fingers with Bonnie’s sweat covered ones, Colm releases his painful grip on her and the woman’s head drops like a 500 pound overweight man onto the mattress. 

He doesn’t remove his fingers from hers though. He keeps his hand over top of hers and uses his left hand to lightly brush her messed up hair, admiring the way it curves and fits to the back of her head and neck. Bonnie keeps her eyes closed now; not tight but as if she’s trying to sleep. She can feel his weight shift and the bed moves with him. He adds some of his weight to her lower back this time, pushing his hips against her.

“You will learn to enjoy my company,” he says to Bonnie in a soft, intimate tone, pushing his hips once again against her. The contact causes her to flinch. She needs to save herself before she can’t. 

.

Arthur is finally sober; maybe not entirely but enough that he can recognize his environment. His lovely burnt orange female Ardennes is beside him, whipping her braided tail back and forth and he’s standing beside a large oak tree in New Austin. How he got here he can’t fully recall, but all he knows now is that he’s far from camp. 

The rippling of a bullet flying through the cool early morning air catches Arthur’s attention. It sounds pretty far from where he is but it’s close enough to startle his horse and make him more aware of what’s around him.

. 

“I gotchu,” a barely recognizable, gender less voice speaks out to Bonnie but she doesn’t have any strength left in her. 

There is nothing left in her body. Her eyes are shut and she knows she’s safe for a while with them closed. She doesn’t have a clue about what’s going on or who is speaking to her, but it doesn’t seem to bother her. She doesn’t want to worry anymore about anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes, that is Arthur coming to Bonnie’s rescue at the end :) hope you readers enjoyed!!


End file.
